Workmen's advocate., 1887-03-26

repeat that declaration in clearer and more explicit language.
 All social institutions derive their ex- istence and binding force from the con sent of society. When society with draws consent or recognition, any social institution must fall. The right to des- troy an institution carries with it the right to establish new ones. It is the right of might.
 The greatest of all social institutions is that of private property, and to show, the point at which property ceases to be private, and becomes public in it's nature, is to furnish the key to the solution of the Labor Question.
 The right of every individual to do as he pleases with his own property is un- questioned. prorided, that in so doing he does not interfere with the opportunities of others to enjoy equal advantages. Property, the value of which depends upon the associative support of the pub lie. and without such such support would be worthless; property, whose manage ment affects public interests either for good or evil; property, which in private hands gives it's possessors power to op- press the public at large-all such prop erty should be controlled by the public for their own protection.
 This distinction must be clearly under stood: Whatever is used to supply per sonal wants, whatever is needed for con- fort and sustenance, such as houses, clothing, furniture, food, literature, works of art, etc.-all things private property. But the use of any of these articles as commodities, for purposes of profit, is against public interest, not merely because profit is robbery, but be- cause the competitor in buying and selling for gain inevitably results in the impov- erishment of the great majority of the people, and the destruction of all free institutions.
 For political liberty cannot long con- tinue where industrial monopoly corrupts public servants and dictates to the man of labor the ballot he shall vote.
 The aim of Socialism is to make the people, collectively and individually, master of their own labor and opportuni- ties through association. It is already a well.known fact that wherever a large number of of people combine their efforts and money in productive or distributive cooperation they can successfully com pete with and drive out individual capi- talists. And when the Municipality, County, State or Nation, uses it's vast forces of men, and immense resources, to conduct any great public enterprise, the capitalists are driven out of the field. Already the water-works and works of many cities, and our public schools and postal and money order system, show how independent of private capi- talists the people can be. The street rail roads and coal and distributive agencies of cities, and the railroads, canals and telegraph lines of the nation, must next be taken in hand. And banking and in- surance, now so abominably misused under capitalistic control, must also be managed directly by the people, through their own officials. These are the imme- diate demands of Socialists. But the ne- cessity of educating the debased, plum dered and down-trodden working people is the most important preliminary step. Until the practical questions of life and labor are brought home to the common people in manner easily un- derstood, they they will remain the easy tools of capitalistic politicians. When they comprehend the identity of interest between all classes of mechanics, wheth- CT skilled or unskilled, when they realize their power of association, as taught in the centralized and progressive trades unions, and in all movements for pro- ductiye and distributive co operation, then they will learn the value of the ballot and appreciate the necessity of in dustrial self government. They would be inconsistent and blind indeed, if after the knowledge thus acquired they should vote to perpetuatc politically those social conditions which in the shops and in every walk of life they are constantly re- boiling against.
 All this requires patience and perse verance, for Society must 9ro,C into new conditions, and cannot jump into them. Society once placed upon the right path l Q Socialistic future is assured.
 INJUSTICE TO WOMEN.